Microsoft Wants to Project Cortana Onto Your Windshield

Microsoft's virtual assistant Cortana has already made the jump from video game Halo to our real-life smartphones, tablets and computers, but she’s not done yet. At the TechDays event in Taiwan, Microsoft showed off a vision of the future where Cortana can join you on the road in your car as well.

Samuel Shen, chief operating officer of Microsoft’s Asia-Pacific Research division, demoed a prototype device that can project Cortana onto your windshield so users can see markers for points of interest, directions and even a heads-up virtual map.

Like Cortana on a phone or PC, the system includes voice recognition support, so you can ask for help without taking your hands off the wheel. According to the Taipei Times, Shen said that although Microsoft has opted not to release similar products due to high cost, the company is in talks with some Taiwanese partners to discuss future development.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Microsoft’s tech in cars. Earlier versions of Ford’s Sync in-car infotainment system were powered by Microsoft, along with other systems from manufacturers including BMW, Nissan and Fiat.

Last year, at Microsoft’s Build conference in 2014, the company showed off a more traditional Windows-based infotainment system running on a car’s in-dash display. This would give Microsoft its own answer to Google’s Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, but it seems the company isn’t quite ready to bring such a service to consumers.